Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs. Our focus must be on those who break the law. That is why I have called on Congress to pass a media shield law to guard against government over-reach. I have raised these issues with the Attorney General, who shares my concern. So he has agreed to review existing Department of Justice guidelines governing investigations that involve reporters, and will convene a group of media organizations to hear their concerns as part of that review. And I have directed the Attorney General to report back to me by July 12th.

Chaser: NBC News:

Attorney General Eric Holder signed off on a controversial search warrant that identified Fox News reporter James Rosen as a possible co-conspirator in violations of the Espionage Act and authorized seizure of his private emails, a law enforcement official told NBC News on Thursday.

The disclosure of the attorney generals role came as President Barack Obama, in a major speech on his counterterrorism policy, said Holder had agreed to review Justice Department guidelines governing investigations that involve journalists.

I am troubled by the possibility that leak investigations may chill the investigative journalism that holds government accountable, Obama said. Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs.

Will Sec. Holder be recusing himself from the review hell be doing of practices at DOJ relating to media?

In the fever swamps on the right, some wonder how high up this approval went....

So, this is the guy that is in charge, except when he is not? Why now does he all of a sudden need congress? His menions have written and implemented an under the counter version of the dream act, in violation of not only the constitution but congressional legislation. All of the agency heads work for him, all he has to do is issue another executive order.... I don’t get it...

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Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs. Our focus must be on those who break the law. That is why I have called on Congress to pass a media shield law to guard against government over-reach.

The sheer audacity of this man! HIS government over-reaches then asked for a law to prevent HIS government over-reach.

It's like firing someone who's been on the job 8 days for something that happened under the previous administrator's watch.

Because the mainstream big corporate press wants the shield law, too, as it will give them a state-sanctioned edge over bloggers and startup media. Big government types like it because it will deny real whistleblowers unconventional outlets with which they can go around a hostile press... while a shield law will still protect politically motivated leftwing leakers because those are the only ones the press is interested in supporting.

The sheer audacity of this man! HIS government over-reaches then asked for a law to prevent HIS government over-reach.

Holder and liberals don't want this crisis wasted. The law Holder's talking about is one LIBERAL members of the press have wanted passed for some time. Holder's trying to make it look like it's in response to the witch hunting he and his team did to a conservative journalists from FOX. It's not.

That’s the word on the street, though.. It would take a tornado to remove Holder because he’s probably got alotta dirt on 0bama. Not to mention he’s got a few more hours to put in at the SuperShredder500.

It would take a tornado to remove Holder because hes probably got alotta dirt on 0bama.

Yes, if he were removed against his will. But, he might just go along with a lateral move to another agency. Let's see, where could an Obama loyalist do a lot of damage--maybe the NSA? Or, he could go into private sector legal practice and monetize his connections.

There has been a question raised if Holder lied to the House in light of his signing the Rosenberg search warrant. I don’t think he did. He said he hadn’t been invovled in the “prosecution” of reporters and that wouldbe wrong. He wasn’t since Rosenberg hasn’t been prosecuted just investigated. I do wonder what the judge thinks about the warrant he approved on this very serious national security issue where theyaccording to Holder had no intention of prosecuting him. Also, since not all the phones were Rosens how did DOJ justify seizing those records per this search warrant? Did they lie to the judge, is there another warrant sordid they exceed the warrant. FOX and Rosenberg might want to inquire

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